Iconography, Politics, and the Symbolism of Power in Medieval Europe On Not Eating Polish Bread in Vain: Resonance and Conjuncture in the Deeds of the Princes of Poland (1109-1113)

“On Not Eating Polish Bread in Vain: Resonance and Conjuncture in the Deeds of the Princes of Poland (1109-1113)” This article argues that the Deeds of the Princes of Poland, composed between 1109 and 1113 to celebrate the deeds of Boleslaw III (1102-1138) and of his dynasty, belongs to a class of princely histories and genealogies of the twelfth century. The author shows how the text draws on comparable writings and themes from western lands, the homeland of the author, while responding to the more immediate circumstances of a Polish prince mobilizing and fighting both defensively and aggressively. Moreover, the Polish example points with unusual clarity to the factors of dynastic setback and "feudal revolution" in defining the righteous cause that motivated a resurgent Poland in the early twelfth century. The Dads are an outstanding example of dynastic celebration in the great age of princely power.